Sunday 21st of April 2024 - The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:8-12/ Psalm 117(118)/ 1 John 3:1-2/ John 10:11-18

The passage from John’s gospel today presents Jesus as a model shepherd with his dedication to his flock and a willingness to lay down his life for his sheep. These idyllic images are not as easy to follow in modern times as they might have been in John’s day. Most of us no longer live close to the land and countryside. The problems of keeping livestock, especially sheep, are not readily apparent to us. That said the idea that a shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep and that sheep would be readily looked after just by them recognising the voice of the shepherd are quite fanciful. Shepherds do put much effort into the care of their flocks especially during the lambing season. There is a significant difference between the herding of cattle and the shepherding of sheep. Herding conjures up images of driving unwilling cattle into pens or enclosures they might rather not enter.

The Shepherding of sheep appears altogether a more gentle and peaceful method of caring for livestock. Sheep are shepherded or pastured while cattle are herded. Sheep require a different approach to other herd animals. They can be fragile and defenceless in the face of danger requiring a different relationship between them and their shepherd. It is from this care of sheep that we get the word pastoral. The shepherd guides the sheep into rich pastures. Our priests and bishops are often referred to as pastors, leading us, guiding us, into God’s rich and safe pastures.

In the days of Jesus there may well have been wolves around representing a threat to the flock and the shepherd. Rustlers also may have presented danger. Sheep present many challenges to their shepherds, they can appear to be the most stupid of animals constantly straying into danger, finding many and varied ways to be injured or die. In some ways comparing sheep to us, the human flock, cared for by Jesus is not far wide of the mark. Humanity will readily stray from safe pasture, wandering into all sorts of dangerous environments. As the shepherd of his human flock Jesus does indeed have quite a task and did lay his life down for us on the cross.

Today we are encouraged to pray especially for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and the religious life. We all have a vocation, a calling, a path to follow, desired for each of us individually by God. Those called to ordination are specifically tasked with the continuation of shepherding God’s flock on earth. They are called to lay down their earthly lives to devote themselves to their tasks. We need the care and guidance from these shepherds to stop us straying into the many dangers found in the world today. Dangers that threaten our spiritual life and, if not checked, pull us away from God’s guiding care for us.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, is another example of how Peter and the apostles continued the work of the shepherd Jesus after his death and resurrection. In the face of much opposition, with risk to their lives, Peter and the others preached continually and bravely the message of the risen Christ. Their work was confirmed by God through the miracles that they performed in the name of Jesus. Peter did not shy away from calling out the leaders and people around him for having Jesus crucified. The church, made up of each and everyone of us through our baptism, is called to continue this work in the world today. It is the purpose of us, the church, to call people back into God’s flock where they can find the path to the fresh and green pastures of repose.

Peter refers to the words of the psalm calling Jesus the stone rejected by the builders that has become the corner or key stone, indeed, a marvel in our eyes. Jesus was, and still is, rejected by many, but this rejected stone is the foundation of our faith. Our whole life should be founded on Jesus the key stone. If it is, we will stand strong in the face of any opposition ranged against us.

Careful reflection on the second reading passage from the first letter of John shows us what all our work is heading for, what the fresh and green pastures that we are called to will be like. It is an amazing passage almost too much to comprehend in that it promises that we will be like God. Through Jesus, God the Father has lavished so much love on us that we have become his children. We are not subjects of an all-powerful ruling God herding us about like cattle but sons and daughters of an all-loving Father who shepherds us with love and care. We are warned that because the world rejected God’s love, and continues to do so, it will also reject us. We are not sheep of the flock of this world, we are the sheep of the flock tended by Jesus the good shepherd. We are children of God which in itself is amazing enough but in the future we will be something much greater than that. We shall be like him because we shall see God as he really is. This is an incomprehensible thought for us in our current sinful state but on the cross our shepherd laid down his life for us to atone for all our sins. Because of this atonement we can indeed one day look forward to being in God’s presence and, dare we think it, be like him. There is much work for us to do before that day comes but it is achievable, it is what we are called to, it is what Jesus won for us, and it is what God wants for us.

God Bless Brendan